ENGL 110 Composition and Reading Basic Course Information Semester Winter 2018 Instructor James Patterson, PhD Course CRN 15021 Email james.patterson@imperial.edu Time 10:45 a.m. 1:35 p.m. Webpage http://faculty.imperial.edu/james.patterson Room 3000 Office Office 406 Units 4 units Office Hours by appointment only Course Description This is the standard course in first-year English composition. The course seeks to improve the student's ability to understand serious and complex prose and to improve the student's ability to write an exposition that is thoughtful and clear, including the production of a well-documented research paper. Course Objectives To ensure satisfactory completion of the course, students will: 1. Read, analyze, and interpret a variety of written texts, including one single-author text. [online textbook materials] 2. Identify evidence, tone, purpose, and audience, and fallacies in a variety of written works. [a variety of written works] 3. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the writing process, from development and drafting to revising and editing. [five research essays, prewriting, and revision/editing] 4. Demonstrate a command of varying writing patterns, such as comparison and contrast, definition, and argumentation. [five research essays] 5. Demonstrate an understanding of connotative and figurative language while writing for an academic audience. [demonstration of academic tone for single reader] 6. Adapt writing strategies to the requirements of the writing situation (e.g., to essay exam or other timed writing, research writing, and reflective writing). [in-class essay exam, research writing, and reflective post mortem] 7. Examine and analyze her/his own writing and that of other students with a view towards improving the effectiveness of the written work. [peer editing/review of first draft materials] 8. Develop text analysis and interpretation supported by citations, synthesized with the study and application of documentation styles and library skills (including electronic databases) to produce a research paper. [five research essays] 1
9. Demonstrate an understanding of the writing process by writing at least four essays using a variety of rhetorical modes, along with one research paper, composing a total of 6,000 words of formal writing. Student Learning Outcomes Upon course completion, the successful student will have acquired new skills, knowledge, and or attitudes as demonstrated by being able to: 1. Demonstrate mastery of research strategies, including appropriate use and correct documentation of research materials. 2. Demonstrate mastery of pre-writing strategies, including brainstorming and outlining. 3. Develop an essay of multiple pages that effectively presents and strongly supports a thesis statement. 4. Demonstrate command of rules regarding plagiarism and academic ethics. Textbooks & Other Resources or Links Guptill, Amy. Writing in College: from Competence to Excellence. Open SUNY Textbooks, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-942341-21-5 ebook. Watt, Adrienne. Project Management. BCcampus OpenEd, August 2014. <https://open.bccampus.ca/find-open-textbooks/?uuid= 8678fbae-6724-454c-a796-3c6667d826be&contributor=&keyword=&subject=>. The student will need access to her/his IVC email account, WebSTAR, and Canvas. The student is expected to check her/his IVC email account daily. Specific instructions and assignments will be available only through Canvas. In addition, the student is expected to have access to a good, quality English dictionary. Bilingual students are encouraged to use a bilingual dictionary as well. In-class writing assignments must be completed in black or blue ink on standard 8½ x 11 notebook paper with clean edges. Out of Class Assignments: The Department of Education policy states that one (1) credit hour is the amount of student work that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of class time and two (2) hours of out-of-class time per week over the span of a semester. WASC has adopted a similar requirement. One last point that needs to be made early and often: There are no shortcuts to good writing. 2
Course Grading Based on Course Objectives Essay Development (4 x 10 = 40 points) The student will provide evidence of pre-writing strategies and outlining skills for each of the assigned research papers. The work will culminate in a comprehensive outline which will be uploaded into Canvas for instructor review and feedback. Peer Editing (4 x 10 = 40 points) The student will provide peer editing to the work of other students in the class. Specifically, the student will review grammar, spelling, and punctuation as well as evaluating the thesis statement and essay organization. In order to participate in peer editing sessions in class, the student must submit a first draft of the given assignment. Research Papers: 1. Expository paper (30 points)... 500 words and 2 assigned sources Academic Writing... 700 words and 2 assigned sources Conduct research and analyze the characteristics of academic writing at the university level within your major field of study. 2. Analytical paper (30 points)... 600 words and 3 assigned sources The Art of Procrastination... 800 words and 3 assigned sources Procrastinate: verb. To put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done. Conduct research into the concept of procrastination. Develop a short research paper that defines procrastination, provides examples from your own life, and discusses consequences of procrastination. Develop a strategy to reduce your own procrastination (the ART of procrastination). 3. Definition paper (30 points)... 700 words and 4 credible sources A Key Concept in My Career... 900 words and 4 credible sources 4. Argumentative paper (30 points)... 800 words and 4 credible sources A Debate in My Field of Study... 1000 words and 4 credible sources The first and final drafts for each of the research papers will be submitted through Canvas assignments. The final draft must be saved as a Microsoft Word document (.docx) or in Rich Text Format (.rtf) and uploaded into Canvas. Documents submitted in any other format (e.g., Google Docs) will remain unread and ungraded until the student submits the draft in the correct format. Penalties for late submissions may apply. 3
post mortem Essays: The Latin term post mortem means after death. When each of the first three papers are graded and returned to the student, the student-author will review and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the paper. The student will then prepare and submit a short essay describing the strengths and weaknesses and describing in detail adjustments to be made in preparing the next assigned paper. The post mortem essays should be typed in correct MLA format (or APA format) and sent to the instructor as an email attachment. Essay Development... 40 points Peer Editing... 40 points Research Papers... 120 points post mortem Essays... 30 points Midterm Examination... 30 points Final Examination... 30 points Minimum Point Total for a Passing Grade of C: 230 points Anticipated Class Schedule / Calendar Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 To be determined Attendance A student who fails to attend the first meeting of a class or does not complete the first mandatory activity of an online class will be dropped by the instructor as of the first official meeting of that class. Should readmission be desired, the student s status will be the same as that of any other student who desires to add a class. It is the student s responsibility to drop or officially withdraw from the class. See General Catalog for details. Regular attendance in all classes is expected of all students. Absences attributed to the representation of the college at officially approved events (conferences, contests, and field trips) will be counted as excused absences. 4
Classroom Etiquette Electronic Devices: Cell phones and electronic devices may be turned on during class. Please step out of the classroom to make or receive a call. Students who bring laptop computers to class are expected to sit in the back of the classroom so their screens do not distract other students. Disruptive Students: Students who disrupt or interfere with a class may be sent out of the room and told to meet with the Campus Disciplinary Officer before returning to continue with coursework. Disciplinary procedures will be followed as outlined in the General Catalog. Children in the classroom: Due to college rules and state laws, no one who is not enrolled in the class may attend, including children. Academic Honesty Plagiarism is to take and present as one s own the writings or ideas of others. As a general rule, any three words or more taken in sequence from a source must be identified with correct punctuation and documentation (in text and bibliographic). You should understand the concept of plagiarism and keep it in mind when taking exams and preparing written materials. If you do not understand how to correctly cite a source, you must ask for help. There is no difference between accidental and intentional plagiarism. Cheating is defined as fraud, deceit, or dishonesty in an academic assignment or using or attempting to use materials, or assisting others in using materials, which are prohibited or inappropriate in the context of the academic assignment in question. Anyone caught cheating will receive a zero (0) on the exam or assignment, and the instructor may report the incident to the Campus Disciplinary Officer, who may place related documentation in a file. Repeated acts of cheating may result in an F in the course and/or disciplinary action. Please refer to the General School Catalog for more information on academic dishonesty or other misconduct. Acts of cheating include, but are not limited to the following: (a) plagiarism, (b) copying or attempting to copy from others during an examination or on an assignment, (c) communicating test information with another person during an examination, (d) allowing others to do an assignment or portion of an assignment, (e) use of a commercial term paper service. In-Class Quizzes: Nearly every class period, the student will be given a short quiz based upon material presented in class or the assigned reading. The students will be allowed to use their notes. The NOTES referred to are the student s written notes taken during class presentations and/or while reading the assigned material. The notes may be hand-written or typed as the student prefers. Electronic notes will not be allowed. 5
Additional Help Login Assistance: use the college s Password Reset Tool here: http://reset.imperial.edu or call the Admissions and Records Front Desk @ 760-355-6101 during business hours. Learning Labs: There are several labs on campus to assist you through the use of computers, tutors, or a combination. Please consult your college map for the Math Lab, Reading & Writing Lab, and Study Skills Center (library annex). Please speak to the instructor about labs unique to your specific program. Library Services: There is more to our library than just books. You have access to tutors in the Study Skills Center, study rooms for small groups, and online access to a wealth of resources. Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) Any student with a documented disability who may need educational accommodations should notify the instructor or the Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSP&S) office as soon as possible. The DSP&S office is located in Building 2100, telephone 760-355-6313 if you feel you need to be evaluated for educational accommodations. Student Counseling and Health Services Students have counseling and health services available, provided by the pre-paid Student Health Fee. We now also have a fulltime mental health counselor. Information is available online. The IVC Student Health Center is located in the Health Science building in Room 1536, telephone 760-355-6310. Student Rights and Responsibilities Students have the right to experience a positive learning environment and due process. For further information regarding student rights and responsibilities please refer to the IVC General Catalog available online. Information Literacy Imperial Valley College is dedicated to help students skillfully discover, evaluate, and use information from all sources. Students can access tutorials online. 6